Slideshow: Making sense of connected sensors

YOKOHAMA, Japan – The Embedded Technology 2012 trade show here focused on five smart technologies: energy, healthcare, agriculture, automotive and transportation systems as well as mobile and cloud computing.

The show floor bristled with sensors that can go into virtually anywhere, from shoes and cars to the water standing in rice fields.

Anticipating a world of ubiquitous sensors and connected networks, vendors demonstrated solutions that addressed such fundamental questions as:

How will new sensors be powered?

How do we build systems that can handle multiple sensors in parallel?

How quickly can we design and tune different analog front-end circuits specific to each type of sensor?

What protocols are necessary for sensors to communicate among themselves?

And, at what frequency range can sensors be wirelessly connected?

Below are a dozen examples of the devices, embedded systems and applications that are making sensors ubiquitous.

Murata Manufacturing showed off a running shoe embedded with clear piezo film devices and a Bluetooth smart module. Five small patches of piezo film placed on the sole can detect friction and foot movement inside the "smart" shoe, allowing it to measure and help regulate the user’s walking or running habits.

@Junko: neat applications!! I already have a book idea: '7 Habits of Highly Effective Runners!!" from that Smart Athletic Shoe...
Scoliosis detection using Kinect is another interesting application in BioMed.
This is just the tip of the iceberg about Connected Sensors in many industries.
MP Divakar

I noticed a recuting ad for a startup here in sf bay area.A Stanford robotics research grad teamed up with a former Trimble agricultural engineer.They were looking for embedded designer to advance the project to automate fine-grained plant tending.Trimble now links tractors to satellite spectural imagery for tuning delivery of nutriants etc. .But robotics-sensor promises a much finer resolution of plant care with much less broadcast delivery.They hope to eliminate over spraying and tune harvesting.It seems it`s more a question of when rather than if,to me.

The application of embedded technology on agriculture is still in the lab, I think.
Its cost must be high. It is too new conception to accept for common farmers. Because it is quite different from traditional agriculture in their mind.

Thanks. What was interesting to me at Embedded Technology 2012 conference this year was that the conversation on "sensors" has gone beyond "gee whiz." Many vendors showed off their solutions addressing communication protocoles, energy generation and design issues.
I would actually like to get our readers' view towards "Echont Lite" protocoles -- designed to have different connected devices talk to each other. It was developed by Japanese vendors and being promoted by the Japanese ministry. Are we seeing any interest in the rest of the world for this?